Online Mgen test referral · Australia-wide testing
FREEwith Medicare (bulk-billed)
A Specialist GP arranges your test over a quick phone call — they confirm it’s right for you, add the resistance test, and send your referral by SMS. Mgen testing is for symptoms or a known exposure, not routine screening.
Book a telehealth consult — free with Medicare (bulk-billed)
Get tested at any pathology lab Australia-wide — simply walk in
Results by SMS in 2-3 days — telehealth treatment if positive
Mycoplasma genitalium, commonly called Mgen or MG, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a very small bacterium. It’s passed on through vaginal and anal sex, and it can infect the urethra in men and the cervix and urethra in women. Although it’s been recognised more recently than infections like chlamydia and gonorrhoea, it’s now known to be common — and an important cause of genital symptoms that would previously have gone unexplained.
Two things make Mgen different from most other STIs, and they run through this whole page: it’s not tested for routinely the way chlamydia and gonorrhoea are, and it’s becoming harder to treat because of antibiotic resistance. Understanding both is key to getting the right care.
Mgen Symptoms in Men and Women
Like many STIs, Mgen often causes no symptoms at all. When it does, the symptoms come from inflammation of the urethra or cervix, and they differ between men and women. They also overlap heavily with chlamydia and gonorrhoea, which is why testing — not guesswork — is what identifies Mgen.
Mgen symptoms in men
In men, Mgen is a common cause of urethritis (inflammation of the urethra). Symptoms in men can include:
Discharge from the penis
Burning, stinging or pain when passing urine
Irritation or discomfort inside the penis
Sometimes discomfort in the testicles
Mgen is one of the main causes of persistent or recurrent non-gonococcal urethritis in men — urethritis that isn’t caused by gonorrhoea, and that sometimes doesn’t clear with standard treatment because Mgen wasn’t identified. If you’ve had urethritis symptoms that keep coming back, Mgen is one of the things worth testing for.
Mgen symptoms in women
In women, Mgen can cause inflammation of the cervix and urethra. Symptoms in women can include:
Unusual vaginal discharge
Pain or burning when passing urine
Pain during or after sex
Bleeding between periods or after sex
Lower abdominal or pelvic pain
If untreated, Mgen in women can contribute to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is inflammation of the upper reproductive tract and can have longer-term consequences. Persistent or unexplained symptoms of this kind are a reason to consider testing for Mgen alongside other STIs.
Most people with Mgen have no symptoms and feel completely well. This is exactly why it spreads, and it’s also part of why it isn’t screened for routinely. The absence of symptoms doesn’t mean the infection isn’t there or can’t be passed on.
Mgen Testing
Testing for Mgen is simple and uses the same kind of samples as other STI tests: a first-catch urine sample (commonly used in men) or a vaginal swab (in women, often self-collected). The sample is analysed with a sensitive molecular test (NAAT/PCR) that detects the bacterium’s genetic material. Crucially, the same test can often also check for antibiotic resistance markers at the same time, which directly guides treatment — this is a key part of modern Mgen testing.
Unlike chlamydia and gonorrhoea, Mgen is not recommended as a routine test for people without symptoms — and this is deliberate. Because Mgen resistance to antibiotics is a serious and growing problem, testing and treating people who have no symptoms would expose more of the bacterium to antibiotics and accelerate resistance, for little benefit. Current guidance is to test for Mgen mainly when someone has symptoms (such as urethritis, cervicitis or PID) or is a sexual contact of someone diagnosed with it. So a standard “clear” STI screen usually won’t have included Mgen — if you develop relevant symptoms, mention them rather than assuming a routine screen has ruled it out.
How testing works with Clinic365
A Specialist GP reviews your symptoms over a quick phone call and, where Mgen testing is appropriate, sends your pathology referral by SMS. You walk into any pathology lab Australia-wide — no appointment needed — and results come back by SMS, usually in 2-3 days. If Mgen is found, the Specialist GP calls you to arrange the right resistance-guided treatment and any follow-up. You can also check for other infections at the same time with the full STI test.
Antibiotic Resistance and Mgen Treatment
The single most important thing about Mgen treatment is antibiotic resistance. A large and rising proportion of Mgen infections are resistant to the antibiotics that were once used first, which means the wrong antibiotic can fail to clear the infection — and using it anyway makes resistance worse. This is why Mgen is treated more carefully than most STIs, and why it shouldn’t be treated on a guess.
The modern approach is resistance-guided treatment: the same test that detects Mgen also checks for resistance markers, and the antibiotic is then chosen based on that result. Treating this way gives the best chance of cure first time and helps preserve the antibiotics that still work.
What treatment involves
Mgen is treated with a specific course of antibiotics, guided wherever possible by resistance testing. Depending on the resistance result, this may involve a particular antibiotic or a sequence of antibiotics given over several days. Because of the resistance picture, Mgen treatment is more involved than a single-dose treatment, and it’s important to take the full course exactly as directed. A clinician will select the right regimen for you based on your test results, any allergies, and whether you’re pregnant. Complete the entire course, avoid sex until treatment is finished and your clinician advises it’s safe (usually about a week after completing treatment and once partners are treated), and attend any follow-up testing arranged for you.
Test of cure and treating partners
Because of the resistance risk, a test of cure — a repeat test a few weeks after treatment to confirm the infection has cleared — is often recommended for Mgen, which isn’t routine for every STI. This checks that the chosen treatment actually worked, and picks up cases that need a different antibiotic. Sexual partners also need to be tested and, where appropriate, treated, whether or not they have symptoms — this prevents reinfection and onward spread. Partner notification can be handled confidentially and, where preferred, anonymously.
Why Treating Mgen Matters
Although many Mgen infections cause no symptoms, untreated Mgen isn’t entirely harmless. In women it’s associated with pelvic inflammatory disease and, through that, potential effects on fertility and pregnancy. In men it can cause persistent urethritis and, less commonly, inflammation of the epididymis. Getting the diagnosis and the right treatment matters — both to resolve symptoms and to avoid these longer-term issues.
See a clinician promptly if you have severe pelvic or lower abdominal pain, fever, pain with testicular swelling, or symptoms that are worsening — these can indicate complications that need urgent assessment rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Mycoplasma genitalium, often called Mgen or MG, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a small bacterium, passed on through vaginal and anal sex. It infects the urethra in men and the cervix and urethra in women. It’s common but under-recognised, frequently causes no symptoms, and is important because it can cause urethritis and, in women, contribute to pelvic inflammatory disease.
Many people have no symptoms. When present, symptoms come from inflammation of the urethra or cervix and differ by sex. In men: discharge, and burning or pain passing urine. In women: unusual discharge, pain passing urine, pain during sex, bleeding between periods or after sex, and pelvic pain. These overlap with chlamydia and gonorrhoea, so testing is what identifies Mgen.
In men, Mgen commonly causes urethritis — discharge from the penis, burning or pain when passing urine, and irritation inside the penis, sometimes with testicular discomfort. It’s a major cause of persistent or recurrent non-gonococcal urethritis. If you’ve had urethritis symptoms that keep returning or didn’t clear with standard treatment, Mgen is worth testing for.
In women, Mgen can cause unusual vaginal discharge, pain or burning passing urine, pain during or after sex, bleeding between periods or after sex, and lower abdominal or pelvic pain. Untreated, it can contribute to pelvic inflammatory disease. Persistent or unexplained symptoms of this kind are a reason to consider testing for Mgen alongside other STIs.
Testing uses a first-catch urine sample (often in men) or a vaginal swab (often self-collected in women), analysed with a sensitive molecular test (NAAT/PCR) that detects the bacterium. Importantly, the same test can often check for antibiotic resistance markers at the same time, which guides treatment. Results are usually available within a few days.
Usually not — and that’s deliberate. Because antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, testing and treating people without symptoms would accelerate resistance for little benefit, so Mgen isn’t recommended for routine screening. It’s tested mainly when someone has symptoms or is a contact of someone diagnosed with it. A clear routine screen typically won’t have included Mgen.
Mgen is treated with a specific course of antibiotics, guided wherever possible by resistance testing. Depending on the resistance result, this may be a particular antibiotic or a sequence given over several days — more involved than a single-dose treatment. It’s important to complete the full course exactly as directed. A clinician selects the right regimen based on your results and situation.
Because a large and rising proportion of Mgen infections are resistant to antibiotics that were once used first. The wrong antibiotic can fail to clear it, and using it anyway worsens resistance. This is why Mgen is treated carefully with resistance-guided therapy rather than on a guess, and why a test of cure is often done to confirm the treatment worked.
Resistance-guided treatment means the same test that detects Mgen also checks for resistance markers, and the antibiotic is then chosen based on that result. This gives the best chance of curing the infection first time and helps preserve the antibiotics that still work. It’s a key reason proper testing, rather than empirical treatment, matters for Mgen.
Often, yes. Because of the resistance risk, a test of cure — a repeat test a few weeks after treatment — is commonly recommended for Mgen to confirm the infection has cleared, which isn’t routine for every STI. It checks the chosen treatment worked and identifies cases that need a different antibiotic. Your clinician will advise on timing.
Yes. Sexual partners need to be tested and, where appropriate, treated, whether or not they have symptoms, to prevent reinfection and onward spread. Partner notification can be handled confidentially and, where preferred, anonymously, and a clinic can help you with how to approach it. Treating partners is an important part of clearing Mgen properly.
It can contribute to problems. In women, untreated Mgen is associated with pelvic inflammatory disease, which can affect fertility and pregnancy. In men, it can cause persistent urethritis and, less commonly, inflammation of the epididymis. These are reasons to get the right diagnosis and treatment rather than leaving symptoms unexplained.
It shouldn’t be relied on to. While some infections may clear, Mgen can persist and be passed on, and untreated infection carries a risk of complications. If you have symptoms or a diagnosis, proper testing and resistance-guided treatment is the reliable way to clear it — not waiting and hoping. Avoid self-treating with leftover antibiotics, which drives resistance.
